In oil field operations, reciprocating pumps are used for various purposes. For example, reciprocating pumps are commonly used for operations, such as cementing, acidizing, or fracing a well. Oftentimes, these reciprocating pumps are mounted to a truck, a skid or other type of platform for transport to and from the well sites. In operation, such pumps deliver a fluid or slurry at pressures up to and around 20,000 psi; however, due to such extreme operating conditions, these pumps are susceptible to damage from forces caused by excessive vibrations, bending moments and/or deformation.
A typical reciprocating pump includes a fluid end and a power end, the power end configured to reciprocatingly move one or more plungers toward and away from a corresponding fluid end pump chamber. Each chamber includes an intake port for receiving fluid, a discharge port for discharging the pressurized fluid, and a one-way flow valve in each port for preventing reverse fluid flow.
Manufacturing and assembling conventional power end housings is oftentimes difficult and cumbersome due to, for example, the sheer weight of the housing, the need for precise alignment certain components, and the difficulty in accessing certain areas of the housing, such as, for example, accessing and installing the crankshaft bearings within the housing.
Thus, there is a need for a pump design, and in particular, a power end housing for a reciprocating pump, having a decreased weight, that can be easily assembled while at the same time able to reduce the likelihood of damage due to excessive forces caused by excessive vibrations, bending moments and/or deformation.